Anamnesis
by Suzuki Yumi
Summary: Kiba just ran into her, gazed at her, and that was all it took. It sparked up her memory. The girl remembers Kiba from somewhere, and when they meet again in the chunin exams, she's determined to figure out why. KibaXOC
1. Anamnesis

The boy turned the corner hastily; he knew he had to be somewhere, but where? It was confusing him. He figured his mother told him to do something, and he never listened to his mother, but she would be _very _angry with him if he didn't do whatever it was. To tell the truth, the poor boy was a little scared.

Turning the corner, he ran into something, some_one_,with a loud smacking sound. They rebounded off each other and fell onto the bumpy gravel road. The boy pulled some small rocks out of the hand he used to break the impact of the fall.

The girl rubbed her head angrily. She prepared herself to let out a string of curse words when the boy stared at her intensely, confidently, unblinkingly. He had pink lines running down his face and a slight overbite. His teeth were pointy and it made the girl think of a vampire. He had scraggly brown hair that pointed out in all directions. In the front, the hair fell gently over his Konohagakure ninja headband. The girl wondered if the pink lines were make-up, and she was tempted to reach out, to rub her hand down his face and see if they came off. She almost laughed out loud at this sudden urge. She ran her hands along the gravel and picked some up, dropping it. She then saw the boy's hand reaching out to her. He wanted to help her up. As she grabbed his hand, she saw him more closely. It was mid-afternoon, so the sun was behind him, seeming to glow off of the boy. He smiled warmly, one of those smiles that could just brighten you up when you were in the most troubled times.

This girl was having _quite _a troubling time, and his was a smile she'd never forget.

"Sorry 'bout that," The boy said happily. The sun was radiating off his flesh. It was the middle of summer, so the boy was wearing a tight mesh shirt that fit him just right and some classic ninja Capri-pants. She smiled and bowed in apology.

"I was in a hurry," He explained, his teeth looking venomous. She then noticed his eyes. They looked demonic, almost like a cat's, except they were white all around with black slits for pupils.

There was a dog bark as a little white puppy ran up. The boy picked it up and held it in his arms gently, like a mother. The scene looked just too familiar to the girl, but she couldn't put her finger on why. She started to feel nauseas, confused. The whole world seemed to be spinning around.

"Hey? You okay?" The boy asked her, concern clear in his voice. The girl swooned but nodded and ran off, her shoes making a _tak-tak_ sound on the ground. The boy was so familiar, what with the dog and all. The girl was unsure of this recollection, this… Anamnesis.

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_**chappie one of my new KibaXOC (god I love Kiba). Hope you like, I'll put up chapter two in like seven seconds.**_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'**_

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	2. A Present for Hinata

About four days after this, Kiba Inuzuka woke up with a smile on his face. He knew that today was the day the chûnin exams started and he was as pumped as ever. He wasn't sure how far he'd make it, but the fun of it was actually _going _and being able to prove himself to his mother, father, and sister. But he was worried. He knew Hinata wasn't sure of herself and he didn't want the team to falter because of her. He would have to be her confidence.

He rolled off his bed, crawling to his dresser and pulling himself up. He looked at his hair in the mirror. No matter how he slept, it never looked different. Kiba slipped on his mesh shirt, pulling his jacket on and zipping it up. He put on his regular pants and eyes himself in the mirror. He pulled up his hood.

_Hood? _He thought. He took it off. _No hood? _

_Hood? No hood…?_

Finally, he decided.

_Hood._

He smiled and slipped on his slippers, walking out the door only to be greeted by his small dog Akamaru. He ran his hand along Akamaru's matted fur and resolved to brush it when he got home. Kiba ran to the front door of his house and kicked his slippers off, looking around. The house was an old Victorian home with classic furniture. He thought it looked like somewhere a nobleman would live and that made him feel special. Kiba sat on the step into his entryway and pulled on his blue ninja-style shoes. His shoes were getting a little too small, but his parent's didn't want to buy him any. Once he had finally put on one shoe, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Make me proud, son," His father said blankly, walking away.

"Kick their asses!" His sister yelled from the living room. He could tell she had something in her mouth, maybe cereal. Kiba smiled to himself and lifted Akamaru off the ground, tugging the door open with one heavy swing. He slipped into the world outside his house, breathing in the fresh air. The air smelled like sakura blossoms and meat, a strange combination. The meat was a distant smell, but Kiba could pick it up with his overdeveloped senses.

Kiba decided to go get Shino first. Kiba never really liked his own house, and he often went Shino's. Shino's house was like a haven.

Kiba and Akamaru walked in silence, as they often did. The rocks were loose under Kiba's feet and he could sense that Akamaru's paws would hurt after that. So, Kiba spread out his arms and let Akamaru jump toward him and scurry onto his shoulder. The dog nestled itself into Kiba's jacket.

When the two arrived at their destination Shino was just locking the door to his house.

"Shino!" Kiba called happily. Shino turned around slowly. He was sporting a light jacket and long black pants. The morning sun glistened off of Shino's tinted glasses. His dark, frizzy hair stuck out in all directions. Kiba knew all too well that as the day went on Shino's hair would slowly flatten more.

"Kiba," Shino said in his icy, calm voice. Others would find Shino scary. He fought with bugs and always talked in that voice that made him sound like he was angry at you. Kiba, however, thought of him as his loyal teammate, companion and very best friend.

The two friends started walking toward the Hyuga Complex to retrieve Hinata.

"How's Hinata?" Shino asked. Kiba would probably have been the only person who could tell that that was Shino being compassionate and worried. Kiba ran his hand through his hair once.

"I think she needs a bit of a confidence booster," He explained. Shino nodded slowly like he had some brilliant plan. Sadly, he didn't.

"What should we do then?" He inquired. Kiba put on a sly smile.

"We should bring her something." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Something girly…" He turned to Shino for input and his friend, of course, stared at him blankly. After thinking for a while, Kiba came up with an idea. He resisted his pulling urge to scream "Eureka!"

"Makeup!" Kiba exclaimed into the air.

So Kiba and his not-so-eager friend made their way to a girly store, ignoring the strange looks they got. They made it to the makeup.

Shino pointed to one tube of lipstick. "How about this?"

Kiba shook his head disapprovingly. "Hinata would look better with a light shade." He spoke like he was some "what-not-to-wear" makeup specialist. He picked one out, it was a very light shade of pink.

"This one," He muttered, seemingly to himself, finally choosing one. Kiba paid for it and left with a sense of pride, carrying his hot-pink plastic bag from "Lavish Makeup".

They eventually arrived at the Hyuga complex. Hinata's father, Hiashi, answered the door.

"Hello Mr. Hyuga we are here to pick up Hinata," Kiba said formally with a respective bow. Hinata arrived beside her father. She was wearing her usual jacket and Capri-pants, with white shoes this time. Her blue hair looked slightly longer than usual to Kiba and he figured she was growing it out for Naruto.

"I'm going father," She informed him.

"Do well, Hinata," He said, ruffling her hair. Hinata nodded confidently and ran up beside Kiba. They all waved and walked off.

"Hinata, we got you a present," Kiba said with a sly smile, passing the pink bag to her. Hinata opened it, her mouth showing a twinge of sadness.

"Naruto might like you more," Shino explained, expressionless. Hinata blushed a deep shade of red and Kiba smiled.

"Ready to go kick some ass at the exams?" He asked his team. Hinata nodded happily while Shino's face remained blank, which, in Shino language, would probably mean: "let's go".

So the three walked along in silence until they made it to the exam building. When they got in, they all blinked and covered their eyes. The room had shiny metal walls and had a classroom setup. On the west side, there was a large window that was letting in sunlight, which bounced off of the walls and into the student's eyes. In front of the window stood their exams proctors. Four guys.

At the front of the room stood a dark-skinned man sporting a long coat. He had a long scar running down his face and he wore a dark ninja skullcap. Kiba scanned the room through squinted eyes for his friends.

He spotted one group from his class. He saw a tall, lean boy with dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. The boy had a mesh shirt with a gray-green shoulder shrug resting on it and ninja capris. The light from the walls glistened off of his silver earrings. His eyes showed his plain boredom but he seemed to glance at the new people with interest. That was Shikamaru Nara.

Beside him stood another boy, a slightly plump one, Shikamaru's best friend. He wore a green shirt with a white scarf and some plain black pants. His ninja headband went through his hair and parted it into two spikes. He was consuming a bag of potato chips, his favourite snack, and mumbling something to his teammates. This one was Chouji Akimichi.

The last one, the girl, stood in between the two boys, seeming to be encouraging them. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, her excess pieces falling neatly in front of her face. Her bright blue eyes showed her determination and confidence. She was Ino Yamanaka, third member and only girl of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. She waved to Kiba and he waved back nervously, smiling slightly. She then ran toward him. With every step Kiba's eyes filled with hope. Then, _whoosh_, she rushed past him, throwing her arms around Sasuke Uchiha. Kiba clenched his fist.

Sasuke pushed Ino off of him in annoyance and Sakura threw Ino to the ground, starting another quarrel between them. Kiba had seen it coming.

Sasuke had dark black hair that was spiked in the back and came down in the front. He wore a blue shirt and white shorts. Sasuke's cold demeanor drew girls in like flies to honey (Kiba never really understood why girls liked the guys who ignore them). However, his onyx eyes showed his real emotions, he was scanning the room, looking for challengers, tough looking guys.

Sakura Haruno had long pink hair; she had grown it long for Sasuke. She wore a knee-length red dress with white trim. Her bright green eyes clashed with the rest of her look.

Beside Sakura, trying to calm her down, was Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto had short blond hair and whiskers on his cheeks. He sported a bright orange jumpsuit and navy blue ninja shoes. His blue eyes glowed when he looked at Sakura. Everyone knew of his crush on her.

On either side of Sasuke stood Sakura and Ino, pulling him back and forth. The two had been best friends until a few years before then, when Sakura admitted she liked Sasuke, they then became rivals. Rivals for Sasuke's affection. Kiba both envied and pitied the poor guy.

"Ahhh," Kiba heard Hinata mumble, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Don't you get wrapped up in Sasuke too, Hinata," Kiba scolded. She shook her head.

"N-N-Naruto-k-k-k-un," She stuttered.

"Go talk to him," Kiba said playfully, giving Hinata a little push in his direction. She stopped dead in her tracks, nervous. Kiba pushed harder, maybe a little too hard, because Hinata went flying into Naruto. Thankfully, he caught her, looking down at her.

"You should be more careful Hinata," He said. "Watch where you're going." Hinata couldn't say anything, she was too shocked by the fact that she was in Naruto's arms. Naruto lifted her back onto her feet.

"Th-th-thanks," Hinata managed to get out. Naruto smiled, putting his hands on his hips dramatically.

"No job is too small for a future _Hokage_!" Naruto exclaimed with a heroic voice. "Believe it." Sakura grabbed his ear and started pulling him away. Kiba eyes went around the room again. He saw another leaf village group. They had graduated last year, but didn't enter the exams. In the group were Hinata's cousin, Neji Hyuga, a bushy-browed boy by the name of Rock Lee, and an energetic girl named Tenten.

He glanced at another team, one from the Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand. It consisted of two brothers and one sister. The oldest, the girl, named Temari, had blonde hair that was pulled into four pigtails, and she wore a short fighting dress. She was carrying a large iron fan in on her back.

Beside her was the middle brother, Kankuro, who was wearing a loosely-fitting black bodysuit, and carrying something wrapped up on his back.

Standing ahead of them, looking like the leader, was Gaara. He wore a mess of brown cloths and held a large gourd on his back. His red hair stuck up in all directions as he glared coldly at everyone in the room, and, upon catching Kiba's observing eyes, shot shivers down his spine. He could even feel Akamaru shaking on top of his head. He darted his eyes away.

Kiba's eyes widened as he saw her. The girl he had run into weeks ago, she was in the chûnin exams. He was tempted to talk to her, to be friendly, but Shino and Hinata pulled him to the sign-in desk, the man at the front had started talking.

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_**chapter 2! haha!**_

_**Please enjoy. I won't post next chapter until I get reviews. **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'**_

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	3. The Chunin Exams Begin

"It's time to begin. I am Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and, from this moment, your worst enemy," The man at the front explained. He smirked. "I'll say this once, so listen up; there will be no combat between candidates, no attacking each other without the permission of your proctor, and even then, the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited. Anyone who even thinks of messing with me will be disqualified immediately, got it?"

Kiba heard someone mutter something near the back.

"Now, if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the chûnin exam. Hand over your paperwork; in return you'll each be given a number, this number determines where you will sit, we'll start the written test once you're all seated," Ibiki explained.

Kiba and the rest were handed exams and numbers, being sat by random people. Kiba sat down awkwardly between on person he didn't know, and the same girl from before. A bead of sweat rolled down his face. He wiped it onto his palm and glanced at Hinata, who was beside Naruto.

"Everyone, eyes front, there are a few rules you need to be aware of, and I won't answer any questions, so you better pay attention the first time around," – he started writing it on the chalkboard in front of the group of genin - "Alright, rule number one is this; the written part of the exam is conducted on a point reduction system. Contrary to what some of you may be used to, you all begin the test with a perfect score of ten points. One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong, so if you miss three, your final score will be seven.

"Rule number two, teams will pass or fail based on the total scores of all three members." Gasps were sent through the room at that comment.

"Waitaminute! As a _team_!?"

All gazes shifted to the angry pink blur. Kiba and his whole team glanced at each other and smirked. It was a _written _exam; Sakura's team was screwed with Naruto in it.

"Silence!" Ibiki yelled. "I have my reasons. So shut up and listen. Rule number three, the sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating. And for ever incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score. Be warned, their eyes are extremely sharp, and if they catch you five times you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored."

Kiba gulped deeply.

"Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here. If you want to be considered shinobi, then show us, what exceptional shinobi you can be."

Kiba started to flip over his paper. "One more thing, if any candidate should get a zero and fail the test, then the entire team fails."

Everyone could tell Naruto was freaking out.

"The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period, you'll have one hour total." Ibiki pressed down the button on his timer. "Begin!"

Naturally, Kiba was nervous. Kiba glanced at the paper. It was filled with complex ninja problems.

_Not even Shikamaru could answer these…_ Kiba thought to himself while scanning the page. _What do I do…?_

Kiba rapped his pencil against the desk in thought.

_Maybe I could…ch- NO! We're not allowed! Impossible! _Kiba thought. He glanced at the girl beside him; she had all her answers filled out. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, his eyes widening.

_I get it! The idea is to cheat without being caught! _Kiba thought happily. He glanced across the room at Shino, who was speaking with one of his bugs. He must have figured it out too. Kiba glanced up at Akamaru, he was watching the test answers of the girl beside Kiba intently. Akamaru barked something into Kiba's ear and he nodded, understanding immediately and scribbling down the answers. After a while of sitting, the tenth question came.

"Before I give you the tenth question, there are a few more rules that you need to be aware of. These rules are unique to question ten, so listen carefully, and try not to let them frighten you. Very well then, rule number one, each of you can choose not to be given the final question, it's your decision. If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero. In other words you fail, and that means of course both your teammates fail as well." – Alarmed whispers went through the room, but Kiba was feeling confident – "Not so fast, you didn't let me finish, if you do accept the question but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail, you will be barred form taking the chûnin exams ever again!" He started to laugh like a maniac.

Kiba jumped up in anger. "Hey that's bull man! That's ridiculous! What kind of bogus rule is that? There's lots of people here who have taken the test before!" He yelled, pointing his finger accusingly at Ibiki. Akamaru barked and Kiba sat back down. The girl next to him covered her face in embarrassment.

"I guess you're just… unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course if you don't want to take it, you don't have to. If you're not feeling confident then by all means skip it, you can come back and try again next year." Ibiki laughed again.

Ibiki announced the final question and asked who wanted to back out. Over half of the people in the room did, and got kicked out. Kiba, however remained calm. Kiba's eyes went wide when he saw Naruto's hand shoot up. He then slammed it down on the desk with a loud _thunk_.

"Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want, you guys aren't gonna scare me off! No way! I don't care if I _do_ get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be Hokage some day!" He yelled.

The look of admiration in both Sakura and Hinata's eyes made Kiba want to puke. But Naruto's speech gave everyone confidence and no one else gave up.

"Well well, I admire your determination, if nothing else. For those of you remaining there's only one thing left to do, and that is to tell you, that you've all passed the first exam!" Of course, Sakura started yelling.

Ibiki explained that the last question was whether or not you'd decide not to do the last question.

Then, he explained that they were _supposed_ to cheat, adding that there were two higher level shinobi to cheat _off of_. The girl beside Kiba raised her hand and Kiba's eyes widened. _She _was a chûnin? Or…higher?

After rambling a bit more, Ibiki removed his cap, showing them all a bald but severely scarred head. There were scleroses and cuts everywhere. There will bullet-shaped dents and burn marks as well. Kiba gasped.

"Information. It can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather intelligence can determine whether the mission's a failure or success. There'll be times you have to risk your life to get it," He explained. He tied his cap back on. "Of course you must always consider the source of your information. Intelligence gathered from an enemy is not necessarily accurate. Always bear this in mind; disinformation can be worse than no information at all. It can lead to the death of comrades, or the loss of a village. That's why I put you in a position where you had to gather accurate intelligence, cheat, in order to survive. And that's why those who weren't good enough at it were weeded out, leaving the rest of you."

He then explained the tenth question.

Ibiki glanced at the window defensively.

Just then a blur came through the window, throwing kunai and hanging a black cloth behind it. Ibiki sighed.

The blur was a girl, and the black cloth said a few words in bold white lettering; "Here Comes The Second Test's Proctor: Anko Mitarashi."

Anko had blue-black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore an entirely mesh outfit with a brown skirt and a light jacket that happened to stay in the right place at all times. She wore a long necklace and lower-leg protectors over her shoes and legs. She had dark grey eyes and a face that made her look angry almost all the time.

"Heads up boys and girls, no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi," She narrowed her eyes. "You ready for the second test?"

She pumped her fist into the air. "Good! Let's go! Follow me!" Total silence followed. Anko muttered something to Ibiki about the genin looking weak and that more than half would be eliminated by the time she was done. Kiba gulped, glancing at his teammates. Shino's usually stoic face looked worried and Hinata seemed to be resisting the urge to grab Naruto's hand.

"This is the 44th battle training zone, but we call it, The Forest Of Death," Anko explained to them, standing in front of a large forest that was fenced off. It looked ominous and held a scary aura. It was dark and treacherous with many vines and tall trees, moss covered everything.

There was a large group of people standing around and Kiba heard a commotion on the left side, and, looking over, noticed some kids interviewing Naruto. Kiba and his team sat near a tree, watching the whole ordeal. Sakura was then talking to the children, ranting about Sasuke's wonderful qualities.

"I hate Sasuke," Kiba said blankly. Hinata giggled.

"He's not _that _bad," Hinata commented.

"Oh don't you-" Kiba started. Hinata laughed sharply.

"Ah, I'm kidding. He annoys me a little too," She said innocently. Kiba looked up at the sky absently, thinking. Could he do it? Could he make it through the "Forest of Death"? Would he have the strength to protect Hinata in the process?

"Each team will be given a scroll. Some will be given Earth Scrolls and some will be given Heaven Scrolls. Your goal is to get one of each scroll by fighting the other teams and head to the centre of the forest within three days," Anko explained. "Oh, and don't open the scroll until you make it to the centre."

"Or what?" Someone asked.

"Or else," Anko replied blankly, winking. Kiba frowned as they walked over to get their scroll. He had a lump in his throat that just wouldn't go away no matter how many times he swallowed. People _die_ in the Forest Of Death, thus the name. He was really, really scared.

Shino turned to him with the scroll in hand.

"Earth," He told the team. Hinata nodded and Kiba said nothing, looking forward at their competition.

Kiba felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It can't be _that _hard," Hinata comforted. He smiled and walked off, Hinata's hand falling limply at her side.

"Okay!" Anko screamed. "Before you go, I need an energy drink!" Some of the helpers jumped off, and then Kiba noticed that girl. Something, though he didn't know what, compelled him to walk up to her.

He stuck out his hand for a handshake.

"Hi. I'm Kiba Inuzuka," He said. She shook his hand limply, giving him a lost look that said "I feel like I should know you… but who the hell _are _you?"

Kiba took off his hood.

"Oh! You're the guy I ran into!" She said with a shocked smile. She was wearing black pants with ninja boots and a tan vest over a mesh shirt with high gloves. Her light grey hair was pulled back into a ponytail with some of it hanging out and falling lightly on her blushed cheeks. She was wearing a little bit of mascara and a bit of eyeliner, bringing out her soft facial features. However, her eyes were blood red and stood out from the rest of her.

She pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear.

She enjoyed seeing him again, but she noticed something more this time, like there was more behind that happy disposition he put on. Like he was going through more than anyone could ever imagine.

"Well Kiba Inuzuka, I'm glad you passed the first round of the exam, don't die yet," She told him with a confident smile. Kiba stood there for a while longer, expecting more.

"Run along to your little friends," She ushered, waving her hand off.

"What's your name?" Kiba asked.

"Reika," She said with a warm smile, turning away from him. Kiba stood silently and then turned to go back to his team. He stood by Shino, who gave him a questioning look. Kiba tried to return it with an "I'll tell you later" look, but it ended up being more like a "You sicken me." kind of look. Kiba figured those two were easy to mix up. He didn't hear Anko yelling, but his team stood up, ready to go and he followed them around the fence of the forest to a faraway side in complete silence.

"Ready?" Kiba asked them.

"Yes!" Hinata said confidently, turning on her byakugan. Shino responded with a nod.

Kiba knew it would be hard, but he and his team were all ready.

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_**rawr. Sorry. Made most of the crap with Anko up because I didn't feel like watching the show. :P**_

_**YAY Reika finally came in. I was waiting and waiting because I needed to take initiative finding her a name (I never name my characters 'till the last minute) so here ya go. Sorry if it's rushed. I promised someone I'd be five hours, so, here ya go! WOOHOO!**_

_**R & R (Rate and Review) my little palooka's. **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'**_

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	4. Orochimaru: Pedophile or Sannin?

The girl, Reika, glanced around. They would be heading into the forest soon. She scanned the premises, pausing at a sign that read "Warning, you will die". She gulped. She wondered how the dog boy would do, but, remembering that curiosity killed the cat, she didn't press further, for she very much wanted to stay alive.

"Pudding!" I shrill voice cried. Reika jumped, alarmed. Reika turned her head toward the sound. Anko Mitarashi, Reika's boss, was sitting on top of the large wooden sign-in booth, her feet dangling dangerously off the edge, her legs crossed. She put on a smug smile.

"I want pudding," She demanded.

"And _I'm _supposed to get it for you!?" Reika screamed back. Anko nodded, pleased that she had successfully annoyed the newcomer. Reika rolled her eyes, turning away from forest.

Reika shuddered at hearing the voice again.

"There's a store down the road."

"I hope someone tries to kill you and you need my help!" Reika called, flicking her hand for a wave.

"I love you too!" Anko cried sarcastically. Reika walked off, stuffing her hands in her pockets grumpily.

"Damn woman," Reika grumbled to herself, turning into the town and onto a bumpy cobblestone road. She shook her head in disapproval. "Pudding? Unprofessional."

She finally found the store. "Bob's Corner Store" The faded sign on the top read. The rest was covered in taped on advertisements for strip clubs and crappy bands. Reika grabbed the doorknob, preparing herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kiba and his team had been released into the forest.

"Okay, the first thing we have to do is to find 'em, you ready Hinata?" Kiba asked, hands on his hips. Hinata nodded confidently, making the necessary hand sign.

"Byakugan!" She yelled, finding someone immediately.

"One mile east," Hinata informed Kiba. Kiba nodded, briefing the team on the plan.

"So if the tower is where we're all headed in the end, I saw we lay a trap there and take the scrolls off of whoever we catch," Kiba explained. Akamaru sniffed the air curiously and Kiba joined. He smelled strange smells, unfamiliar smells. He smirked. "Well well, we've got company." Kiba looked around.

"Bunch of fools, just standing out in the open like they wanna get caught," The first ninja scoffed, staring down at Kiba's team.

"Well it seems like they've sensed our presence, but they're all such lame ninja that they can't even pinpoint our location," The other added with a confident smirk. At hearing that with his sensitive ears, Kiba was enraged. He cast Shino a knowing glance, one that said "Get 'Em". Immediately, under Shino's command, a hoard of blood-sucking bugs came down. The bugs attached onto the enemy, gaining blood-curdling screams of agony. One man reached his leg out in an attempt to escape, setting off the trap and pulling him and his friends into a net, hanging from the trees. The scroll fell directly into Kiba's hand.

He smirked triumphantly, it was the opposite one from theirs.

"Heh. We got 'em," Kiba said happily, pumping his fist and tossing the scroll to Shino.

* * *

Reika opened the door fearfully, waltzing into the store and immediately coughing. It was extremely dusty and bugs crawled everywhere. The entire store was painted white, but a good part of it was covered in mold and grime. Reika covered her mouth, thinking she'd inhale it all and get diseased, and breathed only when necessary. She sauntered through the store, finding some chocolate pudding. She picked it up quickly, running to the counter hastily.

There was a fat man sitting, legs up on the counter, leaning back in his rolling chair, asleep.

"Bob," Reika whispered, her voice wavering. "Bob?"

He only responded with a snore.

Reika had a plan.

She winced.

She figured she _had _to do it.

Reika slowly extended her index finger, moving her hand closer and closer to the sleeping man. He grunted and she recoiled hastily, but he only turned his head a little, showcasing his double chin. Reika frowned and quickly poked him. The man awoke with a start, growling gruffly and placing his feet on the floor with a loud _thud_.

"Bob?" Reika asked, inching away from an incoming spider. She coughed, she had breathed to much, too heavily, in a short span of time.

"'M not Bob," The man hissed. "Bob died."

Reika raised one eyebrow skeptically.

_How?_ She wondered.

As if reading her mind, the man answered with "Poisoning."

Reika gulped as the man lit a cigarette. She covered her mouth and nose quickly, making sure her sleeve covered them _completely_.

"I'd like to buy this," She told him, sticking out the pudding.

"Ah," The man mumbled, holding his cigarette with one hand and reaching for the pudding. "New girl?"

"H-How'd you know?" Reika stuttered.

"Anko always sends the new ones for pudding," He explained, calculating how much money it would take.

Reika quickly grabbed her wallet.

"420 yen," The man demanded. Reika quickly passed the man the money and he handed back the pudding. Reika watched him blow smoke out of his mouth while barely even opening it.

"Good luck," He said, sitting further back in his chair. Reika nodded slowly, turning to leave. When she turned around, she started to walk faster and faster until she was sprinting out of the store. She then walked back calmly and coolly.

* * *

Kiba glanced at his teammates, narrowing his eyes. Shino had his poker face on and Hinata looked calm. They were sitting in a circle, a tense atmosphere surrounding them.

"Go…fish," Kiba muttered dramatically.

"DAMNIT!" Hinata yelled, throwing her cards on the ground. "I hate this game!" This took Kiba aback, for it was not often that Hinata swore. But Kiba knew all too well that when she was angry, she was _angry. _

Kiba smirked. He smelled something in the air.

"Blood," He informed them. Shino glanced at Kiba sternly. "And I was just getting into the game! Let's teach these guys a lesson!" Kiba started to jump away but Shino grabbed his jacket, pulling him back and sending Akamaru flying across the clearing. Kiba turned to Shino with a murderous glare, bust Shino remained expressionless.

"Don't be hasty," He commanded sternly. Kiba nodded. He had gotten quite used to Shino's blank, lifeless commands.

* * *

"SHIT!" Reika screamed when she got back to the forest, throwing the pudding on the ground and smashing it open. Where was she!? The nerve of her, leaving like that! Reika scrunched up her nose in anger as she saw Anko emerging from the rooftops. Reika pointed at her accusingly.

"Is this what you do to all your newcomers from different villages!? Send them on hopeless pudding-missions!?" She screamed. Anko turned around, flashing a smile.

"Can't talk, important business!" She called as she disappeared into the forest.

"I wonder what it is…" Reika whispered with a sigh, slumping down beside a nearby tree. She sighed. "At least tonight will be fun."

She looked around. Everything was peaceful, but she doubted it was so for the people inside the forest.

* * *

Night was starting to fall and Kiba glanced at his teammates with a serious face. Then, without warning, he pulled out a flashlight and shined it on his face.

"Shall we tell _scary stories_!?" He asked, trying to sound evil. Shino shoved his hand in Kiba's face.

"No."

"Let's set up the tent!" Hinata exclaimed with a smile, breaking the tension with her innocent face. Kiba and Shino either got along wonderfully, or not at all. They had a confusing relationship.

With Hinata's words in mind, Shino and Kiba worked together to set up the tent. Kiba looked up from the stake he was pounding into the ground.

"Is it really safe to be sleeping? People could come down and kill us at any moment," He asked.

"One person can keep watch," Shino commanded.

Hinata yawned, stretching her arm out. "Let's go to bed." Kiba smiled warmly at Hinata.

Kiba glanced around, yawning and stretching. He had already slept for a while because Shino did the first shift, and they had agreed to let Hinata sleep. The forest was dark and shadows fell across the trees in an eerie way. Kiba sat down on the ground, leaning against the tree closest to the tent. Then, far off, he heard a loud, girly shriek. Possibly... Sakura… or Ino?

Kiba glanced at the tent, feeling somewhat guilty for what he was about to do. He had to see who it was. It was his duty as a man to protect a damsel in distress!

So, quickly, he set up a trap around the tent and sat Akamaru there to keep watch.

"Wake up Shino if something bad happens." Akamaru nodded understandingly and Kiba ran off

He jumped across the treetops, looking for the voice of the scream. As he jumped over a clearing, he spotted something. Sakura Haruno.

Kiba glanced around the clearing. Sasuke had fallen and Naruto seemed to be hurt as well, but the attacker wasn't there. Kiba was confused, where could they have gone? Then he smelled an unfamiliar scent. It most definitely wasn't a Konoha ninja. Kiba withdrew a kunai, quickly turning around. Behind him was a man with long black hair. He wore a devious smile and purple makeup around his eyes. He was wearing a grass village headband, but it was apparent that he wasn't from the grass village at all. Something about him struck unbearable fear through Kiba. He was unable to move.

_What's with this guy!? _Kiba thought to himself.

"Hello," The man hissed. A long snakelike tongue shot out of his mouth like a whip and stroked Kiba's face. "Do you want to play?"

The first thought that went through Kiba's mind was "pedophile" but then he reminded himself to keep serious. A sudden voice from the treetops startled him.

"Orochimaru. We have a mission. Let's do it. Don't get distracted," The voice said icily. Every word pierced Kiba somehow, like daggers of words. Her tone and composure spoke of bloodlust, and her power over the man in front of Kiba was tremendous. Kiba looked up. The shadow in the trees seemed like she was a woman, but Kiba had no idea who she was. He gripped his kunai tightly.

"Sorreee," Orochimaru hissed in a musical tone. "Sometimes I just get distracted." He retracted his tongue. The girl jumped down. She was wearing a dark purple dress that was unusually short and long black leggings. She also wore black gloves and black boots with purple ribbon. Coming up to her eyes was a mask similar to Kakashi Hatake's. Her grey hair was in a ponytail with a purple ribbon tying it. Strapped to her back were two small, sharp swords.

Though all Kiba could see were her eyes, they showed sympathy, sadness, pity, and regret under the rough exterior. The struck Orochimaru with her hand and Kiba didn't move. He couldn't. He had seen this girl before. He _knew _he had.

Then Kiba remembered it. Orochimaru was the most fearsome of the three legendary sannin. And he was getting beat up by a girl that was not much older than Kiba?

The look of utter fear that was in Orochimaru's eyes as the girl raised her hand once more rocked Kiba to his very core, and he turned and ran off into the forest, toward his friends.

* * *

_**AH! THE suspense! Who IS that girl!? Someone who could have power over Oro? I don't even believe it.**_

_**(lol I just randomly decided to add that girl today)**_

_**SOREEEE I haven't updated in so long! It's springs/summer-ish these days, and I just don't have my creativity in the summer. Which sucks, because it's not like I go see my friends, so I have plenty of writing time! Summer is made for AVOIDING your friends and wishing school would start again.  
**_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'**_

* * *


	5. The Truth About Reika

Reika slowly approached the scene, glancing around

Reika slowly approached the scene, glancing around. "Hey Anko! I'm here!" She called grumpily. No reply followed. Her brow furrowed as she glanced around the area. "Where the hell is everyone…?" She mumbled under her breath, wiping a small bead of sweat from her forehead. It was an extremely hot day, and she was left out in the sun to stand guard and have her skin baked. She tried to piece things together but she couldn't. Where could Anko have gone off to?

Reika slumped up against a nearby tree and thought about the night before. Her head was spinning, like it always did after she went into trance.

It wasn't necessarily a 'trance', it was more or less a second personality of hers. She only went into 'trance' when she used her kekkei-genkai. She was one of the few in the Kurama clan to receive the kekkei-genkai and most people considered her blessed. She found her uncanny talent for genjutsu to be a burden, as she had been able to control it quite well from the time she was five. Since then, she had been sent on terrible missions, wherein she would be forced to kill many, many people.

While in 'trance' she would have terrible power, one ability being the ability to physically hurt people during genjutsu, then, as she got older, she learnt to kill them.

The only way to escape from 'trance' was by falling asleep or being severely injured. But, as soon as she had escaped, she wouldn't remember a thing.

Reika punched the tree beside her. "Goddamnit! If I could just control my power properly like my father could, I wouldn't have to go into 'trance' every night!" She clenched her fists angrily, bringing them down to her lap.

Everyone was always proud that her second personality hadn't taken over yet, but she still couldn't control her power as well as her father. She had heard many stories about her father, how he had been the first in fifty years to be born with the kekkei-genkai, and how he could control his power better than anyone in history, able to use it without a second personality showing through at all.

Reika had learnt long ago not to get close to people because of this. Because her second personality could take over at any moment. Still, she longed, _yearned_ for someone to be her friend, even though she knew she would only hurt them.

She learnt all that from experience.

Terrible, terrible, experience.

* * *

_**Yuss. Uhm.. sorry for the short chapter after a long break, but I felt like I needed a WHOLE CHAPTER for Reika's flashback, so that will be NEXT chapter.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed this one... and I hope it made sense, because I'm re-reading and I'm all "what the hell did I mean to say there?" but I'm too lazy to change it, so...**_

_**I must go work!**_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'**_

* * *


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